barely in time

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This pattern was long since completed and waiting to be blogged on the 14th of Jan when we celebrate the entry of the sun in Capricorn. generically called Uttarayan (movement towards the northern hemisphere), a harbinger of spring and summer. A pan-Indian festival with numerous regional names and slightly different ways of celebrating. 

unblocked motif

It also indicates the beginning of the harvest season. Diversity apart, sesame or til and jaggery or gur are the two common ingredients throughout, though the resulting sweet is prepared differently in different regions, but distributed around. It is only in Punjab, where a bonfire is lit to celebrate 'lohri', that corn, too, is popped and distributed. This is why I was waiting to share the pattern. This year both 14th and 15th were celebrated, hence I'm really not that late, LOL.

pinned picots

You might remember the range of design possibilities of one motif from Endrucks' pattern #15 shared here - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-power-of-15.html

uncut picots

This time it is another doodle called E15 Ear of Maize, which with minimal changes can become a lavender sprig, any other inflorescence, wheat or other cereal spikelet, or even a feather. Perhaps you can come up with another idea?

snipped and trimmed picots

I have used 3 colours, but only one shuttle throughout. And you don't even need to hide the tails of the husk and stem! By force of habit, I forgot to do it in both models and hid most tails. Just leave ample lengths at the start and finish and trim later.

Hope you like this and enjoy tatting it. 

E15 Ear of Maize pattern pdf :  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GEms2X1Xmk1YHwrDz_3F7FiDLgIVpmz-/view

second motif

The motif actually jumped out when I saw Paola Emilia Rotuletti's E15 Star pattern worked in shades of yellow by other tatters!  

Add findings and we could have a pair of earrings or pendant? Perhaps even add beads to the kernels?

Related posts -

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-power-of-15.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/lets-flourish.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2023/12/lighting-up.html

https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2024/01/unlimited.html

Tatting Pattern : Morning Glory 3D flower

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Morning Glory

A 3D Tatted Flower

An “extension” & 3D application of the Thérèse de Dillmont  Plate V, Fig 25 Motif which was modernized & diagrammed by Ninetta here

A freeform rings-only 3D flower that can be customized easily.

As I mentioned in my last post, this is an “Extension” of the original Dillmont Motif which Ninetta modernized & diagrammed. All I did was ‘extend’ the pattern in all dimensions : layer upon layer in the center ; lower layered ring extending beyond the one above ; extended petals under & over the layered rings ; and so on.

I managed to write up the pattern in pdf & upload it along with the post (scroll down), Yay ! Hence this post is more an album of photographs of the Morning Glory Flower from different angles, at various stages.

The Layered Center

For the first time in my tatting life, I actually used blocking ! I used blocking for the yellow center long picots. One of them was adamantly twisted. So I simply pinned the picots on a wet kitchen napkin & after a few hours, it was Great !!! Now I’ve lost my fear/hesitancy of blocking ;-D

These center rings, however, are a bit fiddly to handle .

Adding the Petals

Without Patty Dowden’s instructions, handling the large petal rings neatly & smoothly 

                          would’ve been impossible for me. And this time, I used Both the steps !

This flower measures just over 1"x 1"

  

Although the broad arch of each petal has 16ds, I might've made a couple with only 15ds. 

Adding all the "accessories"

Ninetta's Curled Rings were used to make the calyx & 

thread ends were encapsulated within the stem.

However, one long tail of pink thread was left uncut. This was used to make the Folded ring bud.

And again the pink thread was encapsulated within the stem.

One can safely say that this flower doodle is also a kind of Ring-play. Many different types of rings 

have been used in this all-ring pattern (all rings except for the stems !) : 
Layered, Curled, Folded, Large, …

For the tendril, an auxiliary thread was added. The ends were cut & frayed. The stitches in this long chain were tensioned just enough to get a kind of rolling twist. If sts are snugged more tightly,  we get a curlicue, as in the main stem.

This entire doodle does not require any blocking. 

The large rings, long chains & encapsulation hold their 3D shape very well.

It is extremely difficult to get a good perspective photograph of 3D freeform pieces. 

What I see with my eyes - the angle, the depth, etc. is not always captured with any fidelity !

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Click to download the pattern (pdf) : Morning Glory 3D flower Pattern

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UPDATE : I have changed the pattern link from Dropbox to Google docs for greater reach.  The earlier Dropbox link has been removed, altho' it will still work,  since the file hasn't been removed .

Tutorials for Layered Rings (links at bottom) ; for Curled Rings (upcoming)

Feel free to use the pattern as you see fit ; to tweak it, to overhaul it, …. play & enjoy :-) 

Would be nice, though, if you could drop me a line/comment showing me your work, if you do make it.

My sincere thanks to Ninetta & Patty

& to great masters like Thérèse Dillmont.

Motif #18/II for 25 Motif Challenge

Related Links : Layered Rings Part 1

Layered Rings Part 2

Tatting Techniques : Doodles

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  (all bold, coloured portions are active links to respective pages/sites)

I’ve been on a learning spree these past couple of days. Totally immersed in Inkscape, diagramming the Neemiss Snowflake for starters. I am ever so grateful to Robin, for her Inkscape Diagramming tutorial series, without which, I would’ve still been groping my way through the maze & gotten disillusioned soon. Her tatting-specific/related instructions have been of tremendous help. Three cheers for Robin , my techno-guru :-D

Thus, productively inching closer towards the pdfs as resolved . 

Learning from Karen Cabrera

On the tatting front, have been watching Karen Cabrera’s videos (list of all her tuts) & trying my hand at some stuff – just little doodles. I used to dislike videos because I needed extra concentration to overcome the tatting style, the basic stitch formation, the hand/thread movement, as well as the long nails (I am continually amazed at how quick & flawless the tatting is, despite the long nails – shows the level of accomplishment & skill). Anyways, as I watched the videos, I suddenly realized that that Extra effort to blot out certain movements was no longer required ! I had conquered my own limitations & could Easily focus on the new technique being demonstrated. Who said practice does not count – be it viewing or doing ?! 

So here are a few “doodles” I am sharing, along with the answer to the question in the previous post :

 2-Color Rings

 

The technique in this heart/acorn ( I like Sue’s suggestion of acorn ) is 2-Color Rings. Lesson 138 

This was merely something I was doing with 2 scrap threads, no design/pattern in mind. After making the central 2-coloured ring, I continued on with an outer round of chains only, joining with a Slope & Roll join at every segment, & switching colours. It kind of gives a Celtic feel to the uni-dimensional structure, I think.

 

The very same day, I came across Kathleen’s (Happy Kat) Tiny Turtle sketch that she shared with stitch count. Perfect, I thought, for this technique ! So this is what emerged, with some additional stitches – a tiny Turtle Pendant ;-))

Another fun finding : if I finger the brown rings, they convert into 3-D, & the turtle comes to life & walks away !!!

I have another, more elaborate pattern in the works (half-done). Will share eventually. At present, too immersed in learning exercises, etc.

Vapor Picot 

Oh, I Love the effect of this technique demonstrated in Lesson 131 (Please watch video till the end, for the Gorgeous effects). I wanted to have at least 6-8 wraps (“rounds”) per ‘picot’, so that it got the bullion stitch look; but the size 10 thread proved to be damper – it kept untwisting. So had to be satisfied with 4 wraps. 
This technique will Definitely go into my future tatting.

Single Shuttle Split Chain 

or Floating Chain

Lesson 38

This is for the curlicue (blue, in above composition) , and don’t you just love the possibilities for freeform tatting using this technique ! When I first tried to make the curlicues using long chains, in this Coiled Comfort bookmark here,  I was left with the problem of either cutting after each chain or finding ‘loopholes’ to continue without cutting every time.

If I’d known of this technique, the tatting would’ve been a breeze, And much more satisfying & elegant.

Still, never too late ...

Although Karen starts with a ring & continues with the SSSCh, I started with a tiny space of thread held in a clip & did a Lock Stitch while simultaneously tugging at the core thread. This locks the start, & one can continue with the chain. However, the stitches are Reverse Stitches, in Reverse Order (ie. unflipped, & 2^nd half stitch first).

Ruffled or Layered Picots 

(Floral Picots)

Lesson 99

This technique is also known as Floral Picots by Ring of Tatters, here . I had learned & applied it last year in my Tiny Heart Poppy . 

The pink flower in the above doodle has these picots, giving a layered effect. If one makes each alternate picot larger , then one can get a clear 2-layered ring of picots as in flowers !!!

There are many more picot styles/techniques on her videos, that I have watched. Have still to get down to actually doodling.

Thank you, Karen, for all the wonderful techniques you have uploaded !!!

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And before I take your leave, here is Carrie Neahring’s pdf download link for her Aislyn’s Bookmark. I will update the post, as well. Do take a look at her bookmark – adorable colours & gorgeous tassel ! Hope you enjoy making it :-) She has uploaded it on Craftree here, & kindly accepted to share it through my blog as well, for anybody interested.  

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Thanks, also, to Happy Kat & Carrie, for sharing their patterns :-)

Motif # 14 / II for 25 Motif Challenge

Muskaan's Tatting Pattern : I Love Tatting Doodle

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Original Pattern : Notes

(for intermediate to advanced)

It’s a logo

It’s a bracelet

It’s a pendant

For now, it’s just a doodle to celebrate my love of  tatting !!!

Tatting + Chocolate = Bliss !!!

Firstly, I’m a day late with this post. Wish it weren’t so, but ….

I first came to know about the existence & celebration of International Tatting Day exactly 35 weeks back through Vinnie's post. So, I considered April 1, 2014 to be my ‘first’ ITD & created a pattern for this day.

It is a simple doodle where the letter ‘a’ in ‘tatting’ is converted into a heart to convey the overall message : “I Love Tatting” !

I have done 2 trials and still need many more to get it right. However, baby steps …

When I first wrote the word & consulted Usha (InTatters member) about my idea, she came up with some brilliant suggestions. My initial idea was to tat the word, then add the horizontal line that crosses the ‘t’s later. But she suggested going from right to left, thus doing it in one pass !

I am sharing Notes & pictures of my drawing & trials & listing out the techniques used but the actual pattern has still not been properly written out. I must say, hats off to all the designers who have the perseverance to write out each little detail & tat the same motif/piece over & over till they get it ‘right’ !

I find that jotting down stitch counts, etc. while tatting, only Hampers my tatting pleasure :-(. But, this time, I shall persevere, too. Only, I’m going to try it in size 20 thread rather than 40, or my poor eyes will bear the brunt.

I Love Tatting Doodle
Original Pattern Notes

It all started with a simple pencil sketch .... 

But an ambitious tatting project !

Trial 1.

2-shuttle. Shuttle 1 : White ; Shuttle 2 : Brown, 0355. Anchor Mercer Crochet Cotton, Size 40. Since it was the very first attempt, I just used the thread already in one of the shuttles instead of a red/maroon for heart.

Length : 2 inches/5cms ; Height :3/4 inch/2 cms.

I Love Tatting Doodle - Trial 1

1. Start from right to left chain with normal ds. (scroll down for full form of abbreviations)

2. SSSR for dot on ‘i’, since I needed to hide the color within & make the entire circle white.

I was thrilled with this coz it was my First attempt at SSSR And I successfully hid the colored thread!!!

3. At each ‘junction’ there is 1 vsp added to the chain

4. Folded chain, although I did not get the curve right. It turned out convex instead of concave !

5. BDS. This was used to keep the thickness similar to the later letters.

6. Short folded chain with ds.

7. Heart, here, has been tatted separately as a folded ring. 4FHS, p, 4SHS to get the inward point. 2 vsps on either side to join to the adjoining ‘t’s.

Note: My initial idea had been to make it all in one pass, hence I used 2 

colors from the beginning. The ‘problem’ was how to get the Same color for the SR heart And get it folded And get the threads to enter & exit at desired points. For this I did try out a Split Ring heart as well, but did not use it (adjoining image). I was not at a skill level as to make a good SSSR heart with the threads entering & exiting at opposite ends. I checked out many many heart patterns, but All either started at the base or at the top center. Someday, I will try this out again. Anyway, I followed Usha’s suggestion to make the heart separately & join.

8. Chain of ds with vsp after every 3 ds, going up, joining to vsp on the cross line.

9. Slope & Roll join to each vsp, coming down the vertical ‘t’.

Steps 8 & 9 repeated for 3^rd ‘t’, ‘i’ (half the length of ‘t’), & shaft of ‘n’.

10. Folded chain using a combo of ds & BDS for the rest of ‘n’.

11. Split ring for ‘g’. The 2^nd half of this first ring has a few vsp. When the ring is closed, the threads are brought down, again using the S&R join.

12. Chain of BDS.

This is where I left off Trial 1.

I got some idea of what was required, how to go about it, etc.

I decided to proceed to next trial, hoping to finish a  final version in time for ITD !

Trial 2 :

2-shuttle, both in Anchor Mercer White, size 40 thread. Red heart ‘a’ made separately.

Length : 2.5 inches/6cms ; Height : 3/4th inch/2cms.

I Love Tatting Doodle - Trial 2.

I am only listing the differences :

A. Chain made with BDS this time, to keep it straighter & also for a width similar to letters.

B. Josephine Ring/Knot for dotting the ‘i’ instead of a split ring.

C. 2 vsps separated by 1 BDS . This would afford 2 anchoring joins when the ‘t’ crossed, keeping the letter/line straight.

D. Short Folded Josephine Chain. This time I got the curve right, but just a tad long.

E. At the base of Each letter, 1 vsp has been added to anchor the underlining chain later.
Here, after 'E' is where I use Reverse Stitches to make the foot of the 't', etc. 

F. After making the SR, this time I made a chain of BDS, folding it near the lowermost curve.

G. Chain continued but in normal ds.

H. Bullion Knot. Okay, I’m not sure whether it Actually is a BK & whether it was done correctly – I referred to http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3217.asp .

But here’s how I went about it : I made a loop for ring with Shuttle 1. But instead of making ds, I simply rolled the 2^nd shuttle in & out, & of the loop, over the loop thread – like couching. After about 15 or more such weaves, I closed the ring. That’s how I ended up with an intertwined thread !

TIP : If one uses fewer weaves/rolls, ie shorter bullion, then it will not twist when closed. Only when the bullion is made longer, & the ring closed, it tends to twist around itself. And the advantage is that it will Not Unravel !!!

Very Useful technique. I could easily use this in my 3D Pond Reed pattern !!!

I. Josephine Chain, joined to the respective vsp at base of each letter, as it progresses from right to left.

J. Bullion Knot/Ring similar to H above.

TIP : 

While this is still a doodle, it has the potential to be used as a pendant or a bracelet. Simply extend the horizontal lines both above & below, in any which way, to create the length required. Beads can be added, as well as other little JKs, etc. This little doodle has vast potential !

UPDATE : I forgot to point out that the foot of each 't' & 'n' were made using Reverse Stitch. I will soon upload the entire stitch count for this doodle.

Abbreviations & Techniques Used :

ds : double stitch

Folded Chain

SSSR : Single Shuttle Split Ring

vsp : very small picot

BDS : Balanced Double Stitch (Ruth Perry)

Folded Ring

FHS : First half of double stitch

p : picot

SHS : Second half of double stitch

SR : Split Ring

S&R join : Slope & Roll Join

Josephine Ring/Knot

Folded Josephine Chain

Bullion Knot (or Roll Tatting? - I haven't checked this out yet)

Josephine Chain
Reverse Stitch

Superb tutorials are available for all the above techniques. I will eventually make my ongoing Resource Page, listing techniques with respective tutorial links & tips as I learn them.

Hope I have been able to convey some idea of how I went about it. Someday I will write down the stitch-count when I make one that I am totally happy about. I'm not still satisfied with either of them. As you can see from the sketch, I wanted it to be simple .... not wavy & lacy....

Please feel free to ask for any details or specifics. I'll be more than happy to share all.